Chowdafest in Westport: Chefs Get Ready to Compete Ingredients Restaurant Events Stephanie Webster January 18, 2011 Get ready to Chowda! On February 5th the third annual Chowdafest competition will be held in Westport from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m at Bedford Middle School. More than 20 different chowders, soups and bisques will be available for sampling. This fun-for-the-whole-family event will raise money for the Connecticut Food Bank. Last year’s Chowdafest brought in enough money and canned food for The CT Food Bank to provide 15,000 meals. Come on down and show your support while you vote for your favorite entry prepared by the great group of local restaurants below: Read More
Friday Froth: Expand Your Horizons Ingredients Beer James Gribbon January 14, 2011 Have you ever noticed that most people think music radio is terrible? iPods, Pandora, LastFM and SiriusXM have pretty much taken over the listening landscape. Listen to one station for more than a few hours, and you’ll start to hear the same songs over and over again. Multiply these hours by days and weeks and the audience becomes absolutely stultified. It’s the same with beer. We need variety to keep ourselves involved in what we consume, and this column is all about variety’s special spice. As such, we’re going to take a three-stop trip across the country this week to expand our horizons. We’ll travel with the Sun and start on the East coast, specifically Ipswich, Mass., where we’ll find Mercury Brewing and Distribution Company Read More
Local Find: Vande Rose Farms Artisan Bacon Ingredients Features Specialty Market Stephanie Webster January 06, 2011 In my family, bacon reigns supreme. As a dinner party guest or Webster clan member, you will find bacon fat, lardon, or bacon strips, in almost every dish coming out of the kitchen. For this reason we have made it a full time to job to cull the Fairfield County market in search of great tasting bacon. Recently we came across a find that is worth noting as you head out on your next shopping trip in search of cured pork. Cooks Illustrated did an exhaustive taste test of artisan bacon in 2008, ranking Vande Rose Farms Artisan Dry Cured Bacon, Applewood Smoked at the top of the list. Brands it beat out were Applegate Farms, Niman Ranch, Nodine's, and North Country Smokehouse. Previously we had to satisfy our pork craving by mail ordering our Vande Rose bacon, but we found it at Balducci's in Westport for $8.99 (It is not sold at their Greenwich location). This is significantly less expensive than the mail order price from Vande Rose. Stock up...but leave a few boxes for us. Read More
Graze Home Delivery: Fresh Food is a Click Away Ingredients Features Delivery Service Local Artisan Local Farm Organic Stephanie Webster January 03, 2011 I’m not much for New Year's Resolutions, but I do know that by making small changes, we can impact our health, the planet and the way we raise our kids. Something as small as where you buy your food can be one of those changes, so I was eager to check out Graze, a local farm-to-fridge online grocery delivery service “on a mission to bring fresh, wholesome and sustainably produced foods directly from small local family farms in Vermont to your front door.” Graze sells pasture-raised beef, just-picked local organic produce in season, award-winning artisanal cheeses and even home-cooked meals. After a long weekend, capped off by a nasty blizzard, my supplies of fresh milk, eggs, fresh cider, meat and other staples have dwindled down to nil, and our fridge is pitifully bare. Normally, at this juncture, I’m faced with the quandary: Do I bundle up, shovel out and brave the unplowed back roads so that I can then fight the crowds at Whole Foods or Stew’s? Not anymore, thanks to Graze (grazedelivered.com). Read More
Friday Froth: Barleys, Stouts, and Porters Ingredients Beer James Gribbon December 31, 2010 Here and now, in the some of the shortest days of the year, life could use a little brightening up. This is an instinctual thing with people. We light candle displays, light our homes, and celebrate the low tide of winter having passed, and the return of longer, better days ahead. But it’s still dark. So the brightness in our spirits gets helped along with stronger, winter brews. That’s our theme today. I always look forward to the old ales, barley wines and especially porters that come out in the late fall and winter. Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter from Vermont is one of my absolute favorites, but Southampton Imperial Porter is a new one (to me) to which I'm giving pretty high marks. Read More
Food Writing & Blogging Class w/ Corinne Trang Ingredients Cookbooks Education Events Stephanie Webster December 27, 2010 Looking to learn how to write about food or start a blog? Why not learn from a master? Corinne Trang is an award-winning author of several books including Noodles Every Day (2009), Curry Cuisine (2007), The Asian Grill (2006), She was dubbed the “Julia Child of Asian Cuisine” by the Washington Post, and has written for numerous publications including Saveur, Food & Wine, Relish, Cooking Light, and Bon Appetit. Now is your chance to study with Corinne Trang in a very intimate setting. Here are the details: Read More
Friday Froth: IPA's, Wheat Beer & A Lotta Hops Ingredients Beer James Gribbon December 23, 2010 Hello, and welcome to Friday Froth: the weekly beer column designed to tempt, inform, and share the joy I find in discovering great brews. A quick introduction: There are limitless possibilities to beer. By that, I mean not just different styles like lagers, ales, stouts and barley wines (very much a winter beer, btw), but all the variations possible within those styles. Budweiser's a lager, but comparing it to Brooklyn lager is like comparing me to Lebron James because we're both human males. This column is identical in theme to the rest of CTbites, i.e., "Here are some new flavors, aromas and sensations you may like to try." Read More
Buying Guide: Prosecco, Cava & Champagne for 2011 Ingredients Features Entertaining Holiday This Week In Wine Wine Chat Kathleen Hall December 17, 2010 Get your sparkle on! Now that the holiday season is in full swing, what better gift to bring to a party than a sparkling wine? Any occasion becomes a celebration when you open a bottle of bubbles! Not only that, sparkling wine is extremely food-versatile, pairing well with most hors d oeuvres, from foie gras to pigs in a blanket. And for those of us hoping not to overindulge this month, at only 95 calories per flute (compared to 250 calories in a Vodka Martini), sparkling wine allows you to have fun AND behave all at the same time! Here are three ideas I believe might ring your holiday bell: Read More
Fairfield County Cooking Classes = Great Gifts Ingredients Features Cooking Classes Education Events Stephanie Webster & Liz Rueven December 13, 2010 The holiday season is rapidly approaching (for some it has already past), and as we seek out the perfect gift for that special someone, I offer up the gift of culinary knowledge. Whether your recipe repertoire needs a little spicing up or you are just looking for some tips and tricks from a pro, these cooking events are both fun and educational. Plus, in Fairfield County we are lucky to have access to a variety of chefs with serious pedigree. Avoid the malls. These outstanding Fairfield County cooking classes are all you need: Sono Baking Co.'s John Barricelli, Match's Matt Storch, Chocopologie's Fritz Knipschildt, Barcelona or Brazilian, there is something for every cook--including some great holiday classes for kids. Your friends and family will thank you (and this year they'll mean it). Read More
Monster B's "Hall of Foam" in Stamford Ingredients Restaurant Stamford Beer James Gribbon December 09, 2010 I have lived the vast majority of my life in Fairfield County, but one of the most important lessons in food I ever received happened in rural Georgia. A group of friends and I had taken a camping trip in the general vicinity of Vidalia, where the onions come from, and were in the midst of a long (and severely fire-ant-bitten, in my case) ride back home when we saw a rough, plywood sign appear on the side of the road, leaning against a stack of cinder blocks. The sign had three letters on its face in runny, black spray paint: “BBQ.” What followed was, without any sort of doubt, the best BBQ I’d ever had in my life. We ate three times as much food as anyone should eat at one sitting without having previously drawn up a will. It was a great reward for taking a chance at an odd location Significantly closer to the reactor core of urban life that is the New York Metropolitan Area is Glenbrook Center in Stamford. Heck, there’s even a Metro North stop, and across from that stop on the New Canaan line is Monster B’s. Read More
Fairfield County Winter Farmer's Markets Ingredients Farmers Market Local Artisan Local Farm Specialty Market Farm Fresh Deanna Foster December 07, 2010 The sounds of the Farmer’s Market change with the seasons. The “mmm’s” in June when the strawberries arrive; the “ooh’s and ahh’s” in July when the tomatoes make their entrance; finally, the sad, sighing “uh’s” in the fall as the weather chills and the markets draw to a close. This year, thanks to the unabated demand for local produce and the persistence of some devoted market managers, we can enjoy a new season of sounds at our local Farmer's Markets. Read More
Fairway Wines & Spirits Opens in Stamford Dec. 15th. Ingredients Features Cocktails Specialty Market Stamford Wine Chat Stephanie Webster December 06, 2010 As if the opening of the renown grocery mecca Fairway Market wasn't enough to make a foodie faint, Fairway Wines & Spirits (689 Canal Street), a 6,500 square foot store will open on Wednesday, December 15th next door to the new Fairway Market (699 Canal Street). The shop will feature approximately 2,500 wines, more than 600 varieties of spirits from around the world and over 500 different specialty and traditional beers. Need assistance? A highly qualified staff of specialists and sommeliers will be on the premises to help customers with their wine and spirit selections. Let's talk wine: Wine selections will include the large national brands, local wines, kosher wines, organic and biodynamic wines, sparkling and dessert wines and a variety of esoteric wines from smaller vineyards. Fairway also intends to carry wines from different parts of the world that will be exclusive to Fairway Wines & Spirits. Read More
Ad: How to do Fondue c/o Fairfield Cheese Company Ingredients Features Entertaining Holiday Advertisement Stephanie Webster December 06, 2010 'Tis the season for eating entertaining with family and friends, but as any host knows all too well, 'tis also the season for endless planning, cooking, and the inevitable mile-high pile of dishes at the end of the evening. What's a holiday host to do? Fairfield Cheese Company, Fairfield’s source for artisanal and farmstead cheese and fine foods has a savory solution to the dinner party doldrums. A Fondue Party. This simple solution to entertaining allows the host to stay out of the kitchen and in the action where the act of eating becomes the evening’s entertainment. Whether you go with the traditional Gruyere & Emmentaler or mix it up with a Beer & Chedder Fondue recipe below, Fairfield Cheese Company has everything you need to jumpstart your fun and festive culinary adventure. (Fondue fixins also make for a great holiday gift!) So grab your fondue pot…here’s how to get started … remember, the better quality the cheese, the better the fondue. Read More
Eggnog Lollipops? Ingredients Cocktails Dessert Stephanie Webster November 26, 2010 Last year, we told you about Suckerborne Suckers, lolli's that aint just for kids. In fact, with boozy flavors like "Dark and Stormy" and "Lemon Vodka MeanyTini," you might want to keep these stored in a high place. Finally, a sophisticated and spectacular lollipop designed for adult palettes. Using nothing but sugar, a stick, and some outrageously decadent yet all natural ingredients, Darien resident Megan Ferrell has entered the candy market with chic and style. Yes, lollis with a decidedly adult twist can be found right here in Fairfield County, and just in time for the holiday season, their EGGNOG lollipops are back! Read More
Scratch Baking Debuts in Milford Ingredients Restaurant Bakery Milford Breakfast Dessert Amy Kundrat November 23, 2010 Chances are pretty good that if you’ve ever lusted after a baked good in Fairfield County, Lesli Flick of Milford's newest bakery Scratch Baking may have literally had her hands on it. Scratch is a beacon of baked goods, opening in a cozy space adjacent to the Milford train station just this past weekend with seasoned pastry chef Lesli Flick at its helm. Flick has been moving steadily north since attending culinary school in Manhattan, beginning her baking trajectory on the upper east side and then (thankfully for us) moving to Connecticut. Read More
Thanksgiving Wine Pairing & Shopping Guide Ingredients Holiday Thanksgiving This Week In Wine Wine Chat Kathleen Hall November 18, 2010 Thanksgiving presents a special challenge in wine pairing. Think about the typical foods served for Thanksgiving dinner: salty roasted turkey, savory turkey gravy, tangy cranberry sauce, creamy mashed potatoes, herbal chestnut stuffing, sweet candied yams, rich butternut squash soup, vegetal green beans…. so many contradictory flavors and textures ! Which wine should you choose? Well… you will need a wine that is not too high in tannins because that will overwhelm the mild flavors of the turkey. A wine with medium to high acidity to cut through the fatty and creamy textures. A wine with an abundance of fruit flavor to complement the sweet side dishes. The answer is: there is no ONE wine ! It’s all a matter of personal preference. The key is to pick a versatile wine that will harmonize with the many flavors of the meal. Here are a few wine suggestions that I believe might just do the trick complete with a handy local FC buying guide for easy holiday shopping: Read More
Thanksgiving Guide: Buying a Local Turkey Ingredients Features Holiday Local Farm Thanksgiving CTbites Team November 09, 2010 Thanksgiving is a wonderful harvest feast and there’s no better way to honor the spirit of the holiday than celebrating with a locally raised turkey. Locally grown turkeys are highly coveted and in short supply, so anyone looking for a local turkey from a nearby farm should place their order immediately. Fresh and frozen broad-breasted whites and Heritage turkeys are available for purchase directly from the farmer, but lucky for consumers, you don't have to go to the farm to pick it up. Here are the best local resources for buying that perfect centerpiece to your Thanksgiving meal. Read More
Whole Foods Market Re-Opening Party in Westport Ingredients Events Special Dietary Needs Specialty Market Stephanie Webster November 06, 2010 For anyone who shops Whole Foods Market's Westport location, you've likely noticed a bit of work underfoot. Renovation has been going on for months to transform Westport's Whole Foods into their classic prototype, no longer bearing any resemblance to the Wild Oats from whence it came. The facelift is complete and in honor of this "re-opening" Whole Foods Market will be hosting a celebration on Wednesday, November 10th from 4:00pm-8:00pm at the newly renovated store located at 399 Post Road West in Westport. Whole Foods Market will offer storewide holiday tastings, turkey carving demonstrations, door prizes, and live music from local singer/songwriter Bern McWain. 5% of the total sales for the day will be donated to The Connecticut Food Bank. Read More
This Week In Wine: Viñedo de los Vientos Dessert Wine Ingredients Features This Week In Wine Kathleen Hall November 04, 2010 Served at leFarm in Westport, Viñedo de los Vientos “Alcyone” is a wine worth sampling. An Uruguayan dessert wine made with the Tannat grape, you'll experience luscious flavors of cocoa-dusted black raspberries, vanilla bean and exotic spices. Intense and rich without being cloyingly sweet, this wine is positively addictive. Pair with molten chocolate cake, pour over vanilla ice cream, or sip on its own as a fantastic liquid dessert! Read More
